After announcing an expansion to its material compatibility with new high-performance polymer powders earlier this week, Farsoon has announced another, this time to its hardware capability with not one but two new metal 3D printers.
At TCT Asia, the company debuted the FS1311M-U, a new large-format metal Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) system geared towards the production of metre-scale parts in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and energy.
The FS1311M-U features a build volume of 1310 × 1310 × 1650 mm and 16-laser configuration. It also offers optional beam shaping technology, which the company claims delivers a 'dramatic leap in build efficiency'. By optimising energy distribution, the system enables wider scan spacing, thicker layers, and faster scanning speeds, resulting in build rates of up to 1440 cm³/h for Ti-6Al-4V at 150 µm layer thickness.
According to a press release, other key features include:
- Compact design - the printer is stacked on a second level while downstream processes are packed underneath to reduce factory footprint.
- Robust optical system, uniform multi-laser overlap, and intelligent recoating monitoring.
- Airflow architecture combining multi-layer gas flow with an air-wall design.
- Intelligent MES connectivity that streamlines workflows and drives down operational costs.
- Closed-loop powder management platform, and a three-station design enabling parallel operations.
- Permanent filtration system to extend build jobs with minimal downtime.
- Real-time process monitoring.
The second machine making its debut in Shanghai this week is the FS812M-U. Building on 800-series platform, which launched in 2021 and counts 40 installations worldwide, this latest metal 3D printer has undergone four years of iterations to meet the demands of aerospace and high-volume automotive manufacturing.
The FS812M-U features a standard configuration of 8 or 10 lasers and an extended build volume to 810 x 810 x 1700 mm - but its footprint has been reduced by 41%.
The headline feature is a multi-layer gas flow field featuring dual-layer slits and dual exhaust, which ensures uniform flow across the entire build area. By optimizing the height, width, and depth of airflow channels, the system effectively eliminates turbulence and recirculation, ensuring a clean printing environment over extended runs while protecting optical components from contamination.
“With over 40 units already in the field, the 800-series has proven itself as the workhorse for large-format metal AM across demanding industries,” said Dr. Xiaoshu Xu, Founder and chairman at Farsoon. “The new FS812M-U represents a quantum leap forward. By drastically reducing the system footprint while increasing build height and integrating advanced thermal management, we are empowering our customers to produce taller, more complex parts with greater efficiency and lower cost-per-part than ever before. This is large-format AM engineered for true series production.”
Other features include:
- Optional beam shaping technology
- High-performance optical chain for multi-laser overlap and calibration.
- Multiple independent cooling circuits with precise temperature control to manage all optical components.
- Real-time sensors continuously monitor pressure, oxygen levels, and humidity.
- Dual oxygen sensors to ensure explosion-proof safety.
- Closed-loop chamber pressure control function to maintain consistent atmosphere.
- Optimised recoating system with a simplified blade replacement process including in-chamber reference guide and tool-free blade changes.
- Optimized blade design reduces powder accumulation and improves spreading quality.
- Dual-blade, highly efficient recoating maximizes efficiency across the large build platform.
- Smart scanning strategies and MES connectivity.
- Closed-loop powder circulation system.
